Habitat: Upland, Mountain, Riparian. This plant grows in partly shady riparian woodlands in mountain canyons, where it can be quite invasive and smother other plants.

Flower Color: Violet, purple, or blue, White (rare)

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Early fall

Height: Up to 1 foot (30 cm) tall, but mostly prostrate and spreading

Description: The flowers are tubular, up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide, and have 5 curved, blunt-tipped, pinwheel-like lobes and a paler, pentagonal throat. The leaves have finely hairy (ciliate) margins and a truncate, rounded, or heart-shaped leaf base, and are shiny dark green, mostly hairless, opposite, and oval, egg-shaped, or heart-shaped. The longer main stems are prostrate and root at the nodes, while the shorter flowering stems are erect to leaning.

The similar Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor) has smaller flowers and smaller leaves with hairless margins and a narrower leaf base that tapers towards the stem.